Kodak EasyShare Z980 Review

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Kodak EasyShare Z980 Features
With its 26-624mm f/2.8-5.0 (35mm equivalent) wide-angle to super-telephoto range, the Kodak EasyShare Z980′s 24x zoom lens raises the bar for superzoom cameras. Last year’s models were only in the 18-20x range, meaning the latest batch – which includes the Nikon Coolpix P90 and the Olympus SP-590 — has added 100mm or more in zoom capacity. That’s an impressive leap in technology.

Kodak EasyShare Z980 26-624mm f/2.8-5.0, 24x zoom lens Kodak EasyShare Z980 26-624mm f/2.8-5.0, 24x zoom lens
Kodak EasyShare Z980 26-624mm f/2.8-5.0, 24x zoom lens


Kodak’s marketing material for the Z980 invites users to “turn photography on its side” with a unique vertical shooting mode. This is composed of a vertical shutter release, a detachable vertical grip (below right) and a switch that literally changes the normal horizontal orientation to a vertical one. To be perfectly frank, I think this vertical shooting option is downright silly. Although many professional DSLRs include similar features, it’s just not that difficult to turn a lightweight camera like the Z980 sideways. I only see it being useful for photographers who habitually spend hours shooting nothing but handheld portraits – perhaps fashion or sports team photographers.

Kodak Z980 vertical grip and shutter release Those with High Definition televisions will appreciate the Z980′s HD picture and video capture abilities. The video mode uses MPEG-4 compression for 720p video at 30 frames per second and can capture up to 29 minutes of continuous video, depending on the capacity of the memory card.

I appreciated having the choice of three self-timer settings: 10-second delay, 2-second delay and two shots (with 10- and 8-second delays). The 2-second delay was particularly useful when I was shooting fireworks with a long exposure and tripod. The self-timer button also controls two burst modes: regular (one picture per second, up to six pictures) and high-speed (five pictures per second, up to nine pictures).

The Kodak Z980 boasts a click-to-capture speed of less than 0.2 seconds. In general, the Z980 felt faster than some of the cameras I’ve used recently, particularly in terms of shutter lag and recycle time between exposures.

Kodak EasyShare Z980 Design
The Kodak EasyShare Z980′s exterior design hits a sweet spot that seems calculated to appeal to the widest possible range of users. The camera’s average looks and generic black finish will neither thrill nor offend. For a compact camera, the body is neither particularly substantial nor ultra-lightweight, hitting middle-ground in size and weight (it weighs just under a pound). While not the most elegant build I’ve held, it isn’t uncomfortable, either. The Z980 fits my hands nicely and would probably be comfortable for all but those with very small or very large hands.

The controls are uniformly easy to access and manipulate, with the exception of the on/off switch. I sometimes had to engage it more than once, and its springiness could be a problem for someone with compromised hand strength or dexterity. On the plus side, it won’t accidentally turn itself on.

Kodak EasyShare Z980 top controls Kodak EasyShare Z980 back controls
Kodak EasyShare Z980 top and back controls

The Z980′s user interface is simple, clean and well-designed. The top-right of the camera contains the on/off switch; mode dial; main shutter button; horizontal/vertical orientation switch; three buttons controlling flash, focus and drive; and the jog dial for manual settings. The back of the camera contains the EVF/LCD button; the wide-angle/telephoto zoom button; the five-way navigator; and four buttons controlling delete, menu, info and review functions.

As I said earlier, the horizontal/vertical orientation switch and vertical shutter button are a waste of space, as far as I’m concerned. But I didn’t find them intrusive, either.

Like the camera’s external controls, the internal menu interface is also simple and user-friendly, with capture and setup tabs that each contain mostly self-explanatory setting options. After reviewing a few digital cameras that were sometimes confusing, Kodak’s clean, well-designed interface is a pleasure.

The brief included manual is useful for the basics; an extended user guide is available on Kodak’s Web site in both HTML and PDF versions. The online guide is also searchable, which is great when you just want to find a quick answer.

The Z980 takes an SD memory card and four rechargeable AA batteries, which are included, along with a rather clunky charger. I used my own slimmer, folding charger instead. I used to prefer AA batteries because you can buy them anywhere. But I’ve learned to love lithium-ion batteries, which are smaller, lighter and pack a bigger charge. The Z980 seemed to go through batteries very quickly, requiring charging after every outing.

My biggest gripe about the Z980′s design is that the lens cap will. Not. Stay. On. A seemingly minor complaint, except that the lens gets dirty a lot faster and is more likely to be scratched.

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  • Photo-John says:

    Thanks for the great review, Patia. I think this is your best review yet. I agree that the image quality from this camera leaves something to be desired. Image quality has been improving so much that the studio samples for this camera really show how far behind this camera is. I also think the images look terribly oversaturated. This may be a conscious decision by Kodak as they probably look great on the LCD and to the untrained eye. But that kind of oversaturation means the images are already pushed pretty hard when they come out of the camera, leaving little room for clean post-processing. If this were my camera I’d turn down the in-camera saturation.

  • Patia says:

    Thanks, John. As always, there’s a real trade-off between features, image quality and price. The Z980 is no exception. It will be a great camera for those who want a full-featured camera and a super-long lens at a good price. Average consumers won’t notice the difference in image quality.

  • Thanks for the useful information. Kodak is always known for its high quality products. I am impressed by the design. 12 mp camera is really good. Image quality is very nice. Its a nice performer.

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  • DC says:

    This looks like a great camera, can’t wait to try it out.

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